My security interview is this morning. Wish me luck!
Better yet, wish me the fastest security clearance ever (average time for pre-employment FSOs seems to be 3 months these days)...
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Getting my ass handed to me
As part of the pre-employment process for becoming a Foreign Service Officer with the State Department, one has to go through a rigorous physical exam in order to obtain a worldwide medical clearance. During this process, it came as a shock to me that since my last physical (which was in February), my cholesterol levels have skyrocketed. Now that I'm thinking about it, it may have something to do with the fact that in Lima we buy real butter and whole milk - 2 huge culprits when you're working on closing down some arteries and developing heart disease.
No matter, my cholesterol score lit a fire under my butt in terms of eating healthy and exercising - something I generally do, but have been a little lax on lately. So, even though I'm only in MA for a short period of time, I joined the local gym.
And yesterday, the ladies who run the Group Power class at Ciccone Family Fitness Center totally handed me my ass. After about 1 million chest presses, lunges, curls and crunches, they even made me pretend I still had the strength to do push-ups. Yesterday wasn't so bad - despite my gasps for air, my jello legs, and my racing heart - but today my quads are basically giving me the finger.
And as a final "eff u," the classes I'm taking start at 5. As in the morning. Seriously, what the heck is my problem?
No matter, my cholesterol score lit a fire under my butt in terms of eating healthy and exercising - something I generally do, but have been a little lax on lately. So, even though I'm only in MA for a short period of time, I joined the local gym.
And yesterday, the ladies who run the Group Power class at Ciccone Family Fitness Center totally handed me my ass. After about 1 million chest presses, lunges, curls and crunches, they even made me pretend I still had the strength to do push-ups. Yesterday wasn't so bad - despite my gasps for air, my jello legs, and my racing heart - but today my quads are basically giving me the finger.
And as a final "eff u," the classes I'm taking start at 5. As in the morning. Seriously, what the heck is my problem?
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The road to employment continues
Some of you may be wondering why you haven't heard anything more yet about my quest to become a Foreign Service Officer. That is mostly because I'm still stuck in pre-employment paperwork hell. Just because you cruise through the year-long (more or less) Foreign Service exam process, that doesn't mean that you can't spend the next 2 years waiting on case adjudication. Luckily, I'm not quite in that purgatory yet, but there's hope.
Right now I am still trying to get all my medical paperwork filled out. When I arrived in MA on September 25th, my first order of business was setting up a doctor's appointment. When you no longer live in MA, your general practitioner is in DC, and all your medical files are in Peru and you're living out of a suitcase, this becomes a really fun scenario. Needless to say, after some legwork I found a doctor's office that accepts my health insurance, is accepting new patients, and had an appointment open sometime in this century. Last Thursday I met with a nurse practitioner to begin the onslaught of examinations, x-rays, and embarrassing conversations about my medical history. This morning was my second visit, for the TB shot. With any amount of luck, my Thursday visit for a gyn exam will be my last (but I'm not incredibly hopeful).
Although that should round out all that is required on the medical checklist, I am 99.9% confident that they will ask me for follow-up information. The State Department always has in the past, and even with the Peace Corps I staid in medical clearance limbo for a year and a half.
But hey, I may get lucky and have this process go smoothly.
I joined a Yahoo group for people who have passed the FS exam, and anecdotal evidence leads me to believe that a medical clearance can take anywhere from a week to 2 months for a person with no real issues.
This Yahoo group also indicates that it takes 2-4 months for a security clearance - again, if there are no real issues. As far as I know, the security clearance process hasn't yet begun for me, but those of you who are reading this page should be aware that you may be contacted by a Diplomatic Security agent about me within the next 1-3 months. I actually don't remember whose names I used for references (mostly, they ask for contact information of people who knew you when you lived at a particular address), so just be prepared.
Otherwise, things are going swimmingly.
In the "Yippee! We're going to Mexico!" arena, Anthony and I are still in flux on that issue, too. Anthony had to take a Spanish language exam so they know his scores before submitting a language waiver for him to fulfill the post in Nogales. (Yes. It makes no sense, but that is what is required, so dammit!, that HR rep is going to hold him to it.) The exam scores have not been related to Anthony yet, but we hope to hear in the next week or so from the job assignment panel. At this point, we think we might be in Mexico in time for Thanksgiving, but we are unsure. As with all things in the government, it depends.
So we're dealing with a lot of uncertainty these days. The good news is that Maggie is becoming more social and will be less likely to bite you when you come visit in Nogales.
Right now I am still trying to get all my medical paperwork filled out. When I arrived in MA on September 25th, my first order of business was setting up a doctor's appointment. When you no longer live in MA, your general practitioner is in DC, and all your medical files are in Peru and you're living out of a suitcase, this becomes a really fun scenario. Needless to say, after some legwork I found a doctor's office that accepts my health insurance, is accepting new patients, and had an appointment open sometime in this century. Last Thursday I met with a nurse practitioner to begin the onslaught of examinations, x-rays, and embarrassing conversations about my medical history. This morning was my second visit, for the TB shot. With any amount of luck, my Thursday visit for a gyn exam will be my last (but I'm not incredibly hopeful).
Although that should round out all that is required on the medical checklist, I am 99.9% confident that they will ask me for follow-up information. The State Department always has in the past, and even with the Peace Corps I staid in medical clearance limbo for a year and a half.
But hey, I may get lucky and have this process go smoothly.
I joined a Yahoo group for people who have passed the FS exam, and anecdotal evidence leads me to believe that a medical clearance can take anywhere from a week to 2 months for a person with no real issues.
This Yahoo group also indicates that it takes 2-4 months for a security clearance - again, if there are no real issues. As far as I know, the security clearance process hasn't yet begun for me, but those of you who are reading this page should be aware that you may be contacted by a Diplomatic Security agent about me within the next 1-3 months. I actually don't remember whose names I used for references (mostly, they ask for contact information of people who knew you when you lived at a particular address), so just be prepared.
Otherwise, things are going swimmingly.
In the "Yippee! We're going to Mexico!" arena, Anthony and I are still in flux on that issue, too. Anthony had to take a Spanish language exam so they know his scores before submitting a language waiver for him to fulfill the post in Nogales. (Yes. It makes no sense, but that is what is required, so dammit!, that HR rep is going to hold him to it.) The exam scores have not been related to Anthony yet, but we hope to hear in the next week or so from the job assignment panel. At this point, we think we might be in Mexico in time for Thanksgiving, but we are unsure. As with all things in the government, it depends.
So we're dealing with a lot of uncertainty these days. The good news is that Maggie is becoming more social and will be less likely to bite you when you come visit in Nogales.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
More random happenings
The next cab I took in DC started off really well. The driver was friendly and engaged in a small amount of chit-chat before we settled into a comfortable silence. The silence lasted for all of five minutes before he opened with,
"Are you prepared for the coming of Jesus?"
After which I started looking for a church with a sign out front declaring that statement, thinking the question was a joke.
When I couldn't find a church in our immediate vicinity, I started to get confused. Could this guy be serious?
Was he ever.
"Are you born again?" is how he began his lecture on how Jesus loves me and wants a relationship with me; I apparently only need to believe. Otherwise, I was going to hell and my cab driver was really hopeful that he would see me in heaven.
My driver gave me all kinds of advice - from how to get into heaven to where to buy the latest Christian books, right down the street address of the Christian bookstore where he buys all his reading materials.
After far too many minutes of my sitting in uncomfortable, stunned silence and him chattering away about Jesus, we arrived at Jeff and Liz's house. His parting comment was, "I pray you believe in Jesus because I really hope to see you in heaven."
WOW. I know I'm going straight to hell just for laughing at this, but my mom told me that I should have told him off. She said that even my (Catholic) Nonnie would have told him to go f*&% himself.
I almost wish I did.
(If it weren't for this pesky feeling of respect and propriety I feel towards strangers...)
"Are you prepared for the coming of Jesus?"
After which I started looking for a church with a sign out front declaring that statement, thinking the question was a joke.
When I couldn't find a church in our immediate vicinity, I started to get confused. Could this guy be serious?
Was he ever.
"Are you born again?" is how he began his lecture on how Jesus loves me and wants a relationship with me; I apparently only need to believe. Otherwise, I was going to hell and my cab driver was really hopeful that he would see me in heaven.
My driver gave me all kinds of advice - from how to get into heaven to where to buy the latest Christian books, right down the street address of the Christian bookstore where he buys all his reading materials.
After far too many minutes of my sitting in uncomfortable, stunned silence and him chattering away about Jesus, we arrived at Jeff and Liz's house. His parting comment was, "I pray you believe in Jesus because I really hope to see you in heaven."
WOW. I know I'm going straight to hell just for laughing at this, but my mom told me that I should have told him off. She said that even my (Catholic) Nonnie would have told him to go f*&% himself.
I almost wish I did.
(If it weren't for this pesky feeling of respect and propriety I feel towards strangers...)
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Random Happenings
I grabbed a cab in DC the day after the taxi cab driver strike, and proceeded to be lectured for my entire ride about how Mayor Fenty and the DC government are screwing cab drivers out of livable fares. I was informed that cab drivers used to make $1.80 per mile with the zone system, but are now reduced to $1.50 with the meter system.
At one point, I attempted to intercede when he stopped for air to state that, although I don't know the particulars of the issue, I do have many friends in the metropolitan area that find the meter system to be more fair, since they better understand how the meter system works over the previous zone system. Moreover, many unscrupulous cab drivers used to charge their customers whatever they wanted, because many customers did not understand how the zone system worked.
My cab driver quickly told me that the people I was talking about clearly weren't the people of DC because I probably wasn't talking about black people, which completely offended me. Then he went on to say that I was probably only talking about the "gay people or whoever that live in Dupont Circle."
To add insult to injury, another time I tried to talk to him when he stopped to take a breath (I thought his point had been made), he interrupted me with, "Excuse me, I am talking. I am not your slave; you are not my master. I can speak." Then he went on to lecture me further about how unfair his life as a cab driver is.
Again, I am not an expert on the issues affecting cab drivers in DC, but I really dislike being treated as if I am a racist, as if all white people dislike and feel superior to people of color (I believe my cab driver was Middle Eastern, but he acted as if I hated black people), and as if I am a child who has nothing to bring to a conversation. Beyond this, as anyone who knows me understands, I don't actually like talking to my cab drivers. I have nothing against them; I just enjoy silence most of the time that I am traveling (I also don't talk to fellow passengers on planes or trains).
So, if you are a cab driver or are considering becoming a cab driver, how about acting professional? And while you're at it, stick to comments about the weather, last night's game, or just maintain a healthy silence. No one likes the soapbox you're on.
And don't even get me started on cab drivers who hit on their passengers...
At one point, I attempted to intercede when he stopped for air to state that, although I don't know the particulars of the issue, I do have many friends in the metropolitan area that find the meter system to be more fair, since they better understand how the meter system works over the previous zone system. Moreover, many unscrupulous cab drivers used to charge their customers whatever they wanted, because many customers did not understand how the zone system worked.
My cab driver quickly told me that the people I was talking about clearly weren't the people of DC because I probably wasn't talking about black people, which completely offended me. Then he went on to say that I was probably only talking about the "gay people or whoever that live in Dupont Circle."
To add insult to injury, another time I tried to talk to him when he stopped to take a breath (I thought his point had been made), he interrupted me with, "Excuse me, I am talking. I am not your slave; you are not my master. I can speak." Then he went on to lecture me further about how unfair his life as a cab driver is.
Again, I am not an expert on the issues affecting cab drivers in DC, but I really dislike being treated as if I am a racist, as if all white people dislike and feel superior to people of color (I believe my cab driver was Middle Eastern, but he acted as if I hated black people), and as if I am a child who has nothing to bring to a conversation. Beyond this, as anyone who knows me understands, I don't actually like talking to my cab drivers. I have nothing against them; I just enjoy silence most of the time that I am traveling (I also don't talk to fellow passengers on planes or trains).
So, if you are a cab driver or are considering becoming a cab driver, how about acting professional? And while you're at it, stick to comments about the weather, last night's game, or just maintain a healthy silence. No one likes the soapbox you're on.
And don't even get me started on cab drivers who hit on their passengers...
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